Washing machine

ABSTRACT

A washing machine has a number of functional plates detachably plugged to an inner wall surrounding a washing space of a basket of the washing machine. The inner wall also has a number of spiral drainage ducts connected to an annular recess adjacent to a top opening of the basket. A number of through openings are configured in the annular recess. A rotatable agitation disc is detachably mounted on a bottom side of the basket. The washing machine has no dirt accumulation problem between inner and outer baskets. Its various components are easily detachable and the washing machine therefore is constantly maintained in a clean and sanitary state.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This is continuation-in-part of the co-pending patent application Ser. No. 15/353,701, filed Nov. 16, 2016.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally related to domestic washing machines.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Commercially available washing machines often have an inner basket (or drum) for holding clothes contained within an outer basket for holding water. Dirt is easily accumulated in the space between the baskets, breeding bacteria and foul matters, and cannot be removed unless the washing machine is dismantled and cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel washing machine having a single basket for holding both clothes and water so that there is no dirt accumulation problem between the inner and outer baskets. The inner wall of the basket includes various easily detachable functional plates and spiral ducts so as to achieve both enhanced washing and spin-drying performances. The washing machine can be constantly maintained in a clean and sanitary state.

The foregoing objective and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top plan view showing a basket with functional plates installed according to the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the basket of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is another top plan view showing the basket of FIG. 1 without functional plates.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the basket of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a washer plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a wave plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a top plan view showing an agitation disc mounted in the basket of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 5B is a schematic sectional view showing the agitation disc of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is another top plan view showing the agitation disc of FIG. 5A alone.

FIG. 6B is a schematic side view of the agitation disc of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a top plan view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a schematic sectional view showing the washing machine of FIG. 7A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 7A is a top plan view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7B is a schematic sectional view showing the washing machine of FIG. 7A. As shown, the washing machine according to the present invention comprises a tub 5 having a basket space and a bottom side provided with an outlet pipe 52 connecting the basket space to the outside of the tub 5. A basket 1 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) is mounted inside the basket space of the tub 5 for holding and washing clothes. The tub 5 may be of various shapes and has a space to receive the basket 1. The basket 1 is cylindrical in shape and has a hollow space inside. The basket 1 has an open top 101 and an inner wall 102. As shown in 1A, 1B, 3 and 4, a plurality of washing plates 2 and a plurality of wavy plates 3 are mounted on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1. A plurality of spiral drainage ducts 11 are arranged on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1. The spiral drainage ducts 11 are concaved into the inner wall 102 of the basket 1 in a direction for a depth which gradually increases as the spiral drainage ducts 11 are extended from the bottom of the basket 1 to the top of the basket 1. The spiral drainage ducts 11 are slanted for at least 30 degrees on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1. The spiral drainage ducts 11 are all connected to an annular recess 12 which is formed on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1 and located close to the open top 101 of the basket 1. The spiral drainage ducts 11 are preferably formed by stamping. The annular recess 12 is provided with a plurality of through openings 13. The basket 1 has a plurality of slots 14A and 14B spaced around the inner wall 102 of the basket 1 and located close to the open top 101 of the basket 1 and above the annular recess 12. Further, the basket 1 has a plurality of latches 16 spaced apart on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1 and located close to the bottom of the basket 1 (see FIGS. 1A and 2A). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of washing plates 2 are arranged on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1. The washing plate 2 is a hollow member having a plurality of horizontal ribs 21 on an outer side of the washing plate 2 and an outlet 22 in communication with the inner space 24 of the washing plate 2 and close to the upper end of the washing plate 2. The upper end of the washing plate 2 is provided with a latch 25 and the lower end of the washing plate 2 is provided with a slot 23. The washing plate 2 is arranged on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1, with the latch 25 of the washing plate 2 engaged with a respective one of the slots 14A of the basket 1 and the slot 23 of the washing plate 2 with a respective one of the latches 16 of the basket 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of wavy plates 2 are arranged on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1. The wavy plate 2 has a plurality of vertical wave elements 31 on the outer side of the wavy plate 2. The vertical wave element 31 is provided with a plurality of through holes 32 for spin-drying. The upper end of the wavy plate 3 is provided with a latch 34 and the lower end of the wavy plate 3 is provided with a slot 33. The wavy plate 3 is arranged on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1, with the latch 34 of the wavy plate 3 engaged with a respective one of the slots 14B of the basket 1 and with the slot 33 of the wavy plate 3 engaged with a respective one of the latches 16 of the basket 1. The washing plates 2 and the wavy plates 3 are alternately mounted on the inner wall 102 of the basket 1, with a gap between washing plates 2 and the inner wall 102 of the basket 1 and with a gap between the wavy plates 3 and the inner wall 102 of the basket 1.

A rotatable agitation disc 4 is mounted on the inner bottom side of the basket 1 and mounted on a vertical axle of the motor 6 (see FIG. 7B). The rotatable agitation disc 4 has a plurality of radially arranged fins 41. The outer bottom of the basket 1 is provided with a plurality of connecting ducts 15 (see FIGS. 5A, 5B, 7A and 7B) aiming at the circumference of the rotatable agitation disc 4. Around the edge of the top opening of the tub 5, there is an anti-spray member 51 to prevent water from spraying out of the tub 5.

The outlet 22 of the washer plate 2 may be provided with a filter (not shown) for filtering out debris and particles. Further, the washer plate 2 may be a solid member and has no inner space.

In operation, when the power of the motor 6 is turned on, the motor 6 will cause the rotatable agitation disc 4 to rotate which in turn drives water in the basket 1 to flow and circulate. As a consequence, the clothes inside the basket 1 will be spun by the circulating water thereby causing the clothes to rub against the horizontal ribs 21 of the washer plates 2 and the vertical wave elements 31 of the wavy plate 3 and therefore achieving greater cleaning effect. After the washing machine is operated for a period of time, debris and particles will be accumulated on the first and second plates 2 and 3. According to the present invention, the washing plates 2 and the wavy plates 3 can be easily detached from the basket 1 for cleaning. As such, the washing machine according to the present invention can be constantly maintained in a clean and sanitary state.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A washing machine, comprising a tub having a basket space and a bottom, said bottom being provided with an outlet pipe connecting said basket space to outside of said tub; a motor mounted beneath said bottom of said tub; a basket housed in said basket space of said tub, said basket having a cylindrical shape with a hollow space inside, said basket having an open top and an inner wall, said inner wall of said basket having a plurality of spiral drainage ducts which are concaved into said inner wall in a direction for a depth which gradually increases as said spiral drainage ducts are extended from a bottom of said basket to a top of said basket, said basket having an annular recess formed on said inner wall and located above said spiral drainage ducts and close to said open top, said basket having a plurality of slots spaced apart on said inner wall and located to said open top and a plurality of latches spaced apart on said inner wall and located close to a bottom of said basket; a plurality of washing plates arranged on said inner wall of said basket, said washing plates being a hollow member and having an inner space, said washing plates having an outer side provided with a plurality of horizontal ribs and an outlet in communication with said inner space, an upper end of said washing plates being provided with a latch, a lower end of said washing plates being provided with a slot, said washing plates being mounted on said inner wall of said basket with said latch of said washing plates engaged with a respective one of said slots of said basket and with said slot of said washing plates engaged with a respective one of said slots of said basket; a plurality of wavy plates arranged on said inner wall of said basket, said wavy plates having an outer side provided with a plurality of vertical wave elements, said vertical wave elements being provided with through holes, an upper end of said wavy plates being provided with a latch, an lower end of said wavy plates being provided with a slot, said wavy plates being mounted on said inner wall of said basket with said latch of said wavy plates engaged with a respective one of said slots of said basket and with said slot of said wavy plates engaged with a respective one of said slots of said basket; a rotatable agitation disc mounted on an inner bottom side of said basket, said rotatable agitation disc being vertically mounted on a vertical axle of said motor, said rotatable agitation disc having a plurality of radially arranged fins; and a plurality of connecting ducts mounted on an outer bottom of said basket and aiming at a circumference of said rotatable agitation disc; whereby when said motor is turned on, said motor will cause said rotatable agitation disc to rotate which will in turn drives water in said basket to flow and circulate so that clothes inside said basket is spun by circulating water thereby causing said clothes to rub against said horizontal ribs of said washing plates and said vertical wave elements of said wavy plate and therefore achieving cleaning effect.
 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the spiral drainage ducts are slanted for at least 30 degrees.
 3. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the spiral drainage ducts are formed by stamping.
 4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said washing plates and said wavy plates are alternately positioned along said inner wall of said basket, a gap is formed between said washing plates and said inner wall of said basket, and a gap is formed between said wavy plates and said inner wall of said basket. 